Finest Arts in Devram Temple

Devram Viharaya, which located in Pannipitiya city of Sri Lanka is a well renowned as a large Buddhist temple filled with finest arts, murals & sculptures. If anyone seeks Buddhist cultural values, this is a place you should keep in the top of your list.

Background

Logo of Devram Temple which illustrates
Wheel of Dhamma between two deer

Devram maha viharaya temple was established under the thought of most Ven. Kollonnawe Siri Sumangala thero, a well renowned Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka. Dharmachakra (wheel representing dhamma) located between two deer is the official logo of the temple. Deer is an excellent mark to represent loving kindness. “Migadaaya” (place of deer) in Isipathana in ancient India was a famous place well noted in Lord Buddha’s life story. As noted in the logo itself, Devram temple offers lots of charity programs among poor. 
Ven. Sumangala thero promotes Vegetarianism and loving kindness in every program organized. There is a tiny animal sanctuary inside the temple which make above mentioned true. “Budumaga” Foundation, which established in the temple, organizes various programs as blessed offers to Lord Buddha.

Art masterpiece

Additionally to a place where spread loving kindness, Devram temple is filled with vast monuments, murals full of artistic values. Let’s discover some artistic marvels of the temple.


Statues of 80 chief enlightened monks of Buddha

According to history Lord Buddha had eighty chief enlightened monks. Lord Buddha specialized them according to their skills, capabilities and religious achievements in past lives through Sansara. (Sansara means the cycle of life after life which we cannot think about where it started or where it ends – a huge period we cannot imagine,  According to Buddhism we have born and being dead for an innumerous times which cannot be calculated  

Chief monks were renowned due to their capabilities and religious
achievements through sansaara 

with bare mind). Among these 80 chief monks Sariputtha and Moggallana are the two main bikku leaders. Kasyapa, Bakkula, Ananda, Anuruddha, Upali are some of others. For an example monk Bakkula was the chief monk among healthiest monks. According to history Ven. Bakkula thero lived 160 years without any illness.  Moggallana was the chief monk among monks who had extra sensory powers which achieved by meditation. Likewise other monks are chief due to various reasons. To visualize this significance all 80 chief enlightened monks are sculptured in Devram temple. Each statue is different due to the posture of 

illustration. Additionally Lord Buddha had chief nuns as well such as Kema, Uthpalawanna, Ambapali, Dhammadinna, Sonaa...etc. Their statues are also erected in the temple. 

Chief nuns: Not only chief monks but there were
chief nuns for Lord Buddha. 

Dharmaraja Statue complex

This monument is a replica of great Avukana statue of
Sri Lanka, situated in Pollonnaruwa

In Dharmaraja statue complex three massive monuments have erected to represent three major postures of great lord Buddha. The three postures are sitting, standing and lying. Special thing about the standing Buddha statue is that it’s a replica of most famous Avukana Buddha statue in Sri Lanka, situated in ancient city of Pollonnaruwa. Astonishingly this statue was erected within 45 days according to the thought of Ven. Sumangala thero. Ven. Sumangala thero was very upset about the massive destruction of great Bamiyan Buddha statues which done by Taliban extremists. Thero decided to erect more and more Buddha statues as reaction to that inhuman behavior. Otherwise this massive sculpture would only be an imagination. Simultaneously other two monuments were also established nearby. 

Below the foundation it was made a cave and another scene in Buddha life has illustrated in the center of the cave.  It shows the first public dhamma talk done by Lord Buddha after obtaining Buddha hood.

Statue represents the first public dhamma talk done
by Lord Buddha 

Statue of dedication

Prince Siddhartha passed a difficult six months period
attending to deep meditation. This hardness illustrated
in statue of dedication. 

It is very difficult to obtain Buddha hood. A bodhisathwa, a person who thinks, and works on to achieve Buddha hood, has to practice dharma for an innumerous long period which we cannot imagine. Our Buddha who lived around 2600 years ago had to practice though a period more than 4 in-numerous kalpa’s. Kalpa is a term for a long time period. Some scientists calculate kalpa as 10 to the power 130 years. But there is no exact measurement still. Even Buddha had practiced through such long time in his past lives; he had to dedicate 6 months time to discover the real truth by performing deep meditation. In that six months prince Siddhartha (name before attaining Buddha hood) some times stopped eating and drinking as well. Then the body of Siddhartha got weakened. He was seen as a live skeleton. Skin of stomach touched to the spine. Eyes were drowned inside. Veins were well visible to the outside. Hair was grown. Likewise there is a long description. This statue represents prince Siddhartha’s painful dedication during those six months.